


a stranger in the doorway

by briankang (sandeullie)



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 16:33:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18392159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandeullie/pseuds/briankang
Summary: when reclusive jaehyung has a mysterious visitor stumble upon his secluded cabin in the depths of the woods, there's a flicker of hope. his world slowly begins to shift into could be's, but how much does he really understand about what he's caused from a small act of kindness?





	a stranger in the doorway

**Author's Note:**

> hello again! it's been a little bit of time since i last posted. i had hoped to get this up in march, but some personal events all began to happen at once and i had to halt writing and take a small hiatus. this has been a piece i've wanted to write for several years, and well before day6 were even formed. i never got around to it and felt that now was the time to finally write it. i hope you enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it.
> 
> i have two other fics in the works that i hope to keep working on and get on here in the following months!
> 
> as always, any mistakes are my own.

jaehyung has over one hundred and fifty books he’s discovered over the last year and a half listed down on a piece of parchment that’s carefully been rolled up and tucked away in the top drawer of the old walnut desk in the corner of his small cabin. there’s another ten books he has piling up under the window, some that he’s started, a couple that he’s near finishing, a few barely even touched - but all unfinished. not to even mention, at least thirty assignments left still to grade. yet, jaehyung sets outside on foot with a small body cross bag that’s just big enough to hold his worn out leather water canteen, small flint knife, and a new book he had come across today at the small local university in the village where he works. scratch that—where he worked, at the moment he’s decided to take an extended leave to study, to prepare for the upcoming changes in his life.

 _the civil service examination is in a month, you don’t have that much time left…_ , jaehyung reminds himself as he strolls through the woods. there’s a light breeze blowing through the trees, leaves tumbling about on the earth’s ground, tossing his hair loosely around in the air. although it’s the middle of the afternoon, no one would know the exact time of day here in the dense woods full of trees, so majestic that they tower upward, high into the sky, branches knotting ever higher – as high as jaehyung’s head can tilt. he stares up in amazement, curious how long these trees must have been here to grow so much life into them, because he swears the canopy of trees must kiss the big puffy white clouds in the sky. the small pockets of golden sunlight that peek through the lace of leaves is just enough light, and it’s a perfect day. jaehyung thinks, to go and sit down by the small stream and listen to the wind and songbirds, to watch the rabbits and hares hopping about to gather their dinner.

 _focus, jaehyung, focus! you only came out here to check the traps for food._ at least that’s what he repeats again and again to himself in his mind as he continues making his way deeper into the woods, clutching onto his bag. leaves crunch under his shoes with every step he takes forward, the scent of mixed berries and mulch blend into one refreshing perfume that plucks at jaehyung’s senses. sure, he may have been out here to collect his food, but he always carried a book out here with him, knowing full well that the woods would entrance him. this afternoon is especially tempting with the perfect amount of wind and sunlight teasing him—beckoning him, and it’s almost enough to make jaehyung want to rest against the tree at the edge of the stream just ahead and escape into his book – another one that he wouldn’t find the time to finish. _thirty-one days, focus!_

there’s a soft, piercing sound coming from just up ahead near the stream, and jaehyung frowns, quickening his pace heading towards the direction of the noise. he searches around, looking for any source of distress, and that’s when he sees it, before him, a small fox whose foot appears to be caught in a metal trap – _his_ metal trap. the fox is whimpering in agony, the moving around from trying to free itself, not helping the pain, and jaehyung winces when he sees the small pool of blood dripping down onto the ground. he scans his eyes around promptly, checking all the other nearby traps he has set up before focusing his attention back on the fox in front of him. he kneels down on both knees to examine the metal device the fox is caught in. it’s one of the older traps, a rusty one he probably set up a good year ago, but it comes loose easily enough when jaehyung smashes the chain with the handle of his knife that he’s already dug out of his bag. it’s the jaws of the contraption that are a little more tricky; fortunately, jaehyung knows how to work them open, having grown up watching his father set traps.

the fox gives the smallest yip, perhaps a small token of appreciation or gratitude of thanks, when jaehyung frees the animal successfully, it stands there barely a second and then disappears into the deep trees just like that before jaehyung even has the chance to blink.  


after an hour of collecting fresh berries and checking his other traps, jaehyung finally returns home to his cabin, the sunlight above growing weaker and the temperature beginning to drop. it’s only after a few more hours when jaehyung is blowing out the candles and preparing for sleep that he remembers something he once read in a book of prose. something about how helping foxes always leads to something if he’s remembering the text correctly. whatever that particular _something_ is, it’s something he clearly can’t remember or he’s making the entire thing up. it’s late and the silver moon is greeting him outside his window. he lets out a yawn and sinks down into the bed, head resting firmly against the cool pillow.

  


there’s a loud thud followed by a soft knocking sound coming from outside, it sounds as if something has fallen against the door. jaehyung groans, a frown forming out of frustration as he shuffles slowly to the door, wondering who or what it potentially is. he lives in the middle of the woods, far away from civilization, hardly anyone knows where he lives, let alone comes to visit, because it’s too far off the path from the nearby village. no one comes to mind that would possibly visit him at this hour of the night, but still… he opens the door apprehensively, full alert at the danger that could be lurking on the other side. he’s greeted by a young man sitting down and leaning against the frame of the heavy wood door, looking barely alive. jaehyung’s not entirely sure if he even is alive, his lips are so pale, almost white, breath shallow, and there’s a trail of blood that’s leading up to the door. it’s only then that jaehyung realizes that the stranger is injured, there’s a huge gash on the side of the young man’s foot and his ankle is scraped up with several smaller scratch marks.

“come in,” jaehyung says hastily and bends down immediately as he tries to help the stranger up to his feet, but he decides against it and dismisses the idea entirely when the stranger wobbles and yelps out in pain. instead, he gets down on his knees and carries the stranger in, albeit in the most awkwardest of manners. the young man is shorter than he is, but jaehyung is skin and bones, and his arms shake under the weight of the man he carries and places down on a chair nearby.

jaehyung attempts to clean the stranger’s wound with a small washcloth and some stream water he has in a basin on the counter. beside them on the round table is a long strip of some fabric from an old shirt he’d found in his cedar chest that he’s torn off to act as an improvised tourniquet. the stranger winces, biting at his lip when jaehyung brings the wet washcloth over his wound to absorb the blood, but he doesn’t speak, only bites back at the pain. “what’s your name?” jaehyung asks curiously. normally he’s pretty comfortable with silence, prefers it most days even – but the silence between him and a stranger in his home unnerves him a little, and he feels that he somehow needs to break it.

the stranger doesn’t reply, at least not in the way jaehyung’s expecting. instead, he takes jaehyung’s hand into his own and traces the name “younghyun” on his palm, his brows knitted in deep concentration with every line he draws.

“it’s a beautiful name,” jaehyung says sincerely. “i’m jaehyung. there’s so many questions i have, but you must be exhausted so i’ll tell you what, why don’t you rest here for as long as you need until your foot is fully healed and then i’ll get you back safely to the village,” he pauses for a moment before he adds on, “you’re not from these parts, are you?”

jaehyung continues what he’s doing, giving younghyun time to process what he’s just told him. attentively, he wraps a strip of fabric around younghyun’s foot, covering the open wound and ties the ends together, pulling tight before tucking the ends away into the cloth. he does the same around his ankle.

younghyun furrows his eyebrows, and seems to mull over jaehyung’s question, giving him a curious look, before he finally shakes his head.

“right,” jaehyung says, feels strangely flustered though he can’t exactly place the feeling of why. “well, anyway… get some rest.”

jaehyung stands up and offers his hand out to younghyun and wraps his arm around his shoulders to prop him up. together they walk over to the bed, younghyun limping and making small whimpers with each step, careful not to place much pressure on the injured foot.

“you take the bed, i’ll take the floor,” jaehyung says.

younghyun looks up at him, cocks his head slightly to the right side as if he’s disagreeing with him. jaehyung shakes his head back in protest.

“you’re injured. trust me, take the bed. i have plenty of knitted blankets that will keep me warm down here,” jaehyung assures him and pulls out a spare down feather pillow out from the cedar chest at the end of the bed. younghyun still looks at him hesitantly, but in the end settles himself down flat on the bed, pulling the covers up just below his chin.  


jaehyung wakes up suddenly, the sounds of loud claps of thunder and heavy bolts of lightning striking some time before the dawn breaks. jaehyung is a light sleeper; usually the smallest sound will wake him up, the random dripping of a leak, or a small animal crawling along the rooftop, a baby mouse that’s found its way in squeaking in the corner. that said, on most occasions, jaehyung somehow manages to sleep through thunderstorms, thunder claps and all. he assumes it’s due to the enjoyment he gets from the rain, the peace it brings to him, that he’s simply grown accustomed to it. yet tonight, jaehyung’s startled awake by the loud booming of the thunder roaring outside. he tosses the wool blankets off himself, sits upright, almost forgetting for a moment why he’s sleeping on the floor, until he looks over to his bed and notices younghyun has curled himself up into a ball shivering. jaehyung stares at him, freezes momentarily, uncertain of what he should do. after all, younghyun is a stranger that by chance wandered upon his cabin and jaehyung’s a little too caring and generous to turn away a helpless person in need of his assistance – it’s just not in his good nature. he doesn’t really know younghyun per se, and yet there’s some inexplicable sort of vulnerability to him that draws jaehyung involuntarily closer, _closer_.

taking one large deep breath, jaehyung climbs up onto the bed — leaving his blankets down on the floor — and sits beside younghyun. he thinks back on all the times of when he lived at home still and how his sister used to wrap her arms around him and hold him close when he’d run to her bed during thunderstorms when he was just a young boy. he bites his lip, maybe a little too hard, and wonders if perhaps he should do the same thing for younghyun. he hesitates for a moment, contemplating, then takes the plunge and moves his body closer to younghyun.

younghyun opens his eyes and looks at him, startled at the touch of jaehyung wrapping his arms around his body. jaehyung’s opening his mouth to apologize when younghyun shifts in closer and presses his head against jaehyung’s chest - it catches him off guard and he closes his mouth. instead, he pats younghyun awkwardly on the back, rubbing his hand up and down a few times to calm him down. younghyun huddles in closer as the storm relentlessly rages on outside, flashes of light illuminating the entire room.  


jaehyung prepares berries for them to snack on as he cooks rabbit stew in a large black pot that hangs above a small fire pit. he prepares enough for the both of them, watching as smoke rises and swirls around in the air. younghyun sits on a tree stump, watches as the flames lick at the pot with a look of wonder in his eyes. jaehyung wonders if younghyun’s ever seen anything like it before. he doesn’t get a chance to ask, or rather chooses not to as he adds potatoes, mushrooms and carrots into the pot and stirs the contents around slowly.

when the stew is boiling and the smell fills their noses, jaehyung scoops a plentiful amount for each of them into two large ceramic bowls. younghyun looks down and stares at the liquid that fills the bowl to the brim, jaehyung’s cheeks heat up, warmth flooding over his entire body in embarrassment.

“forgive me if this isn’t what you’re used to eating,” jaehyung says defensively. maybe comes off too strong, even for his own comfort. hell, he knows he’s not the best cook in the world, but he makes do. “what i mean to say is, this is all i have here. i’m sorry.”

younghyun looks up at him, no particular look really, just stares at him as if all that jaehyung’s been saying was pure nonsense and nothing more than that. jaehyung lifts his own to his lips, blows on the stew for a moment before he drinks. it’s then when apprehension takes hold of jaehyung and he feels as if he should’ve simply kept his mouth shut.

younghyun sips at his stew peacefully, chewing the tender bits and his lips turn upward as he licks at them. jaehyung spoons out more into the bowl for him and watches as younghyun carefully blows at it before bringing it back up to his hungry lips. he supposes he had nothing to worry about in the first place after all.

 

“once your wound is fully healed i’ll take you back into the village,” jaehyung says wrapping a new strip of cloth from his old shirt around younghyun’s foot. it’s the third morning since he’d shown up on his doorstep. younghyun looks at him calmly, watching as his hands tie knots. “you’re not in any particular rush or anything, are you?”

younghyun shakes his head before he smiles. it’s just a small smile, but jaehyung catches it and he thinks it might just be one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen.

somewhere, deep within jaehyung’s heart, something begins to stir and he feels his heartbeat pulsing faster, faster. “right,” is all he manages to gulp down, cheeks warming up. “that’s that then.”

the real truth of the matter is that jaehyung finds himself not wanting younghyun to leave, not just yet anyway. not when there’s still so much left for him to do, so much to still complete and study for. he’s still got over three weeks before he’s expected at the capital on the other side of the village. it’s more than enough time, but jaehyung feels crunched for more time to prepare. it’ll be more convenient to bring younghyun to the village then, he reasons, when he sets off for his civil service examination. it has nothing at all to do with how he can’t help but find younghyun absolutely and utterly charming, fascinating and captivating to be around, _nothing at all_.

  


every now and then, younghyun will disappear and wander off outside while jaehyung’s studying at his desk near the window of his cabin. often he’ll look out of the window, when he hears younghyun abruptly dart out the door, observing him curiously, frolicking about in the woods. it should be strange, jaehyung thinks, to find a young man, no older than a mid twenty something year old, frolicking outside his window, but somehow it’s endearing. he only hopes that one day younghyun won’t get tired of waiting for him to show him the way back to the village. the first time had been a complete scare, he was sure he’d gotten lost trying to find his way back, or just got lost in the twisting winding woods. jaehyung was about to go into a complete panic and go out into the night to search for him, but younghyun had turned up just in time. jaehyung reasons that it’s fair enough that younghyun had simply wanted to explore the woods, get fresh air and roam around. it isn’t exactly like younghyun seems to belong to any of the surrounding villages in this part of the countryside.

it truth, there’s something about younghyun that sets him far apart from anyone else that jaehyung’s ever met in his entire life. there’s something about younghyun’s eyes, and the way that they watch jaehyung mesmerizingly as he does the most mundane things like reading and writing, washing dishes and their laundry. a strange, almost ethereal quality that pierces through his eyes that slant upward. jaehyung suspects, wonders if perhaps younghyun isn’t really who he thinks he is.

that said, it’s not as though jaehyung is in any position to find out. he needs to continue studying, there’s only two and a half weeks remaining before he sets off to the capital. it’s not like jaehyung doesn’t want to study, in fact, younghyun’s presence makes him even _more_ motivated and determined to do so, but younghyun’s also part of the problem, somehow distracting without even trying to. younghyun stays out of his way, does everything not to be a distraction, but all of jaehyung’s thoughts go back to him. the whole damn thing is one huge contradiction in its own right that he can’t quite comprehend the situation. jaehyung takes a deep breath, looks down at the parchment in front of him, dips his quill into the ink and continues working on his calligraphy in the essay he’s attempting to write. all he can think about is younghyun who he can see just out past the large tree now sitting down and looking out to who knows what.

suddenly, jaehyung’s mother's voice echoes in his mind from when he had first moved out on his own six years ago.

you should always be mindful of who you allow to enter your home.

_younghyun._

you can never be too careful when it comes to strangers you might meet.

_younghyun._

there’s the demons, monsters, and malignant spirits out there that have yet to be sealed away, lying dormant for several years jaehyung, they draw their powers from those that are around them. keep your eyes open and stay alert.

_younghyun... younghyun... younghyun._

 

the number of dead and decomposing animals had been on the rise, jaehyung has regrettably made observations of over the last week. sure, there would always be a handful, some out of natural causes and the basic animal food chain, but he still felt uneasy about this. he’s not exactly sure what or who could be the source of all the carcasses appearing, but things begin to get suspicious when he comes across a wild boar in the middle of an alcove of trees, and less than ninety meters away a once beautiful, strong elk. both dead - eyes wide open and glazed over. jaehyung walks over to both animals, bowing and says a small prayer before he walks past them, leaving them alone in peace. they wouldn’t be his dinner, not this time. there’s a few dead birds scattered around as well, crows and ducks here and there that send a chilling shiver all the way down his spine as he continues walking along the edge of the water. in this moment he deserts his plan of hunting some pigeons, squirrels and hares and settles on going up to the stream for some mackerel instead.

the water at the stream he comes to first is murky, no longer able to see his own reflection in the once beautiful clear, fresh water that he so often comes out to sit and read by for a bit of relaxation. he frowns and wonders for a brief moment if he just mistakenly got turned around or perhaps wandered too far away from his usual path. he looks about, scanning the vicinity of the area, recognizes the trees and the way his favorite is just a little bit larger than all the rest, its long strong branches extending out over the stream. he ponders for a moment before coming to the decision that something must have happened a little further upstream, so he instead turns around in hunt for another source of water. he recalls another stream on the other side of the woods and a few ponds here and there.

deeper into the woods on the complete opposite side, is the stream that jaehyung had come across once before, but rarely visited since it was a little more out of his way. as expected the water is perfectly fine, fitting his logic that maybe something had polluted his own. he makes a mental note to go check things out in the next day or two when he has time. jaehyung settles down here, treading ankle deep into the water and waits for fish to swim on by. after some time he finally catches a few and figures that’s plenty to get him and younghyun through the next couple of days. before he makes his way back to the cabin, he fills a large bucket with water.  


if jaehyung is being truthful, he’s not quite certain what he thinks of younghyun. it’s almost been a month and he still doesn’t know anything about him, where he came from, what he likes - he only has his speculations. it’s just that there’s something about younghyun he can’t place, the way he carries himself so gracefully, the way he looks at jaehyung—head slightly tilted—as if he can see right through him. it’s almost as though younghyun knows jaehyung and can read his internal thoughts, it makes his heart race even just thinking about it. he lacks concentration when younghyun is around. and although he’s typically unable to fully concentrate when he knows he actually needs to study for real and not for pleasure, he somehow finds himself more focused on studying only once he manages to take his mind off younghyun. it’s all a bit of one huge confusing mess that jaehyung’s not able to make any sense of.

 

❁   ❁   ❁

 

it’s undoubtedly an awkward moment when younghyun tries to cook for the first time. it’s late in the evening and there’s less than a week remaining before jaehyung has to leave. jaehyung returns from checking his usual stream, coming no closer to any conclusions on the current state of it. he’d made sure to stop by the other stream to collect more water since it’s now their one main source. he’s later than usual tonight and he returns to find a fire started outside his cabin. he had rushed the second he saw a glow from the distance, one bad thought after the next invading his mind. the last thing he expects to find is younghyun behind it. jaehyung doesn’t really understand how younghyun has managed to light the fire, as the pebbles that he normally uses are nowhere to be found, but somehow, younghyun had got the fire going just fine and sets down two strange looking sticks to roast what appears to have impaled wild rabbits on each one.

naturally jaehyung panics, not because of the dead rabbits. hell, rabbit stew is one of his favorite meals. which is why he suspects younghyun decided to cook up some rabbit in the first place. rather, he’s not sure if younghyun knows what he’s doing, if he’s ever cooked before in his life. surely he had, but for safe measure, jaehyung sits and warms himself by the fire and watches over younghyun just in case. in the end, younghyun’s meal turns out to be successful, the meat is so tender and jaehyung’s mouth waters with each bite he takes. he thinks that perhaps this could possibly be the best meal he’s ever tasted in his entire life and that’s an impressive thing when his own mother in the village has one of the top inns with fine home cooked meals that he often finds himself missing.

  


to jaehyung’s surprise, he’s grown accustomed to having younghyun as his guest and his presence there in general. somehow, it’s reassuring having someone there when he wakes up and again when he arrives home from gathering food each night waiting for him. to have younghyun curiously looking over in his direction when he studies and it not put him in any discomfort, despite his inability to remain focused. the feeling is, how should he say — welcoming and comforting, as if it’s the way things are supposed to be. he feels a strong debt of gratitude for all of younghyun’s companionship over the last three and a half weeks, happiness even, although sometimes jaehyung gets exceptionally sleepy rather easily from all the studying he’s been cramming in these final days in long stretches of time. he supposes that perhaps it’s simply because he’s not used to having someone around that brings out the nerves in him. which is an interesting thought when jaehyung considers that he’s a professor and is always surrounded by people that he’s giving lectures to, but those people are not younghyun and they do not live with him. in truth, he wants to show younghyun what he’s capable of, what he’s really truly good at, although he’s not entirely sure if younghyun is aware or understands that.

“i’m sorry i haven’t gotten you back to the village,” jaehyung says one night, lifting his head from his book, turning to face younghyun seated next to him folding a piece of paper into a shape unfamiliar to jaehyung. it’s only a few more days until he has to leave for the capital. he tells himself that if younghyun had wanted to leave he would have made clear of it or left by now, but still he feels the urge to apologize.

younghyun’s lips tug down and he lowers his head as if saying, _it’s alright, you don’t have to._

it’s not like jaehyung wants to either, but he has no choice in the matter. it’s mandatory that he leave, and although he could leave younghyun alone here to take care of his place, he figures it’s best to help him find his way home.

“you don’t even need your foot wrapped anymore,” jaehyung says.

younghyun frowns a little and looks at his foot and moves it around.

“i guess you’re all better then,” jaehyung nods and smiles at younghyun, although it’s probably more bittersweet than he intends for it to be.

“is there anything you want to do tonight?” he asks pushing his book aside. younghyun shakes his head and reaches out past jaehyung and pulls the book back until it’s in the center between them. “you want me to read to you?” jaehyung chuckles when younghyun’s eyes light up, and he swears that they sparkle brighter than the stars in the sky. he finds where he lefts off and continues to read, this time aloud for younghyun.

in the final two days they have together, jaehyung takes time from studying to go outside with younghyun. they run around and chase each other and he even takes younghyun to hunt with him for their final meal. jaehyung figures he’s studied as much as he can, he feels prepared enough for the examination, so there’s no sense in trying to overload his mind or stress over everything. for now, he wants to enjoy the final moments he has with younghyun as he’s not sure he’ll ever see him again. he doesn’t think much on it, doesn’t want to show that he’s sad. they spend the night together, curled up on a small couch as jaehyung reads some classics aloud, younghyun’s eyes falling softly shut.  


 

the last thing jaehyung expects to find when he’s jolted awake by a weight pressing against him is the outline of someone. he’s almost scared to open his eyes again to get a proper look, thinks maybe it's just a dream. but he takes a gulp, frozen in place when he finds younghyun hovering over him, looking down directly into his eyes. he looks around for a moment, not saying anything, has no words to say. he’s not exactly sure how he got in bed, doesn’t recall moving to the bed. he explicitly remembers sitting on the couch, although fair enough, he doesn’t really remember falling asleep either. he assumes that he fell asleep reading classics and maybe, just maybe younghyun moved him over to the bed. it seemed entirely possible and he has no other better guesses at the moment. however, that doesn’t even begin to explain why on earth younghyun is sitting there straddling him, with a strange look in his eyes, a mixture of fascination, intrigue and a hint of curiosity.

“y—younghyun?” jaehyung whispers.

it’s definitely without a doubt, the last thing he expects when younghyun licks his lips and leans down, lips teasingly grazing at his own, before he finally presses them firmly against jaehyung’s. as younghyun deepens the kiss, jaehyung’s breath falters and he finds breathing a near impossible task to complete.

the truth is that jaehyung’s never kissed, or been kissed for that matter, that is of course, until now and he has no idea how to process this very unexpected moment. he breaks apart for a moment trying to find the words to say, anything at this point, but his mind has turned to mush and all he can think about is wanting younghyun’s warm lips back on his, despite everything he tries to tell himself. younghyun’s still looking down at him, with patience. jaehyung tries to look away but finds younghyun mesmerizing in the dim light from one of the candles in the corner of the room.

younghyun slowly moves in again, lingers before jaehyung tentatively nods and takes in a sharp intake of breath. jaehyung supposes now is not the time to wonder if he’s doing this right. judging by the way younghyun lifts jaehyung’s head with his thumb and presses at his chin to part his lips, jaehyung guesses he must be doing something right.

jaehyung can feel his cheeks grow warm when younghyun’s tongue trails over his mouth before letting it slide past his lips to swirl around a few times. the sensation is entirely new to jaehyung and he lets out an involuntary moan before younghyun’s tongue glides along the roof of his mouth then swipes along his teeth. jaehyung’s mind already grows cloudy, but he wants _more more more_.

jaehyung breaks apart again, this time to catch his breath. honestly, they aren’t even doing much else besides kissing, but his breathing is already labored and his heart pounds rapidly against his chest, whether that’s of nerves or excitement, he’s uncertain. younghyun looks at him, part confused part understanding, at least that’s how jaehyung reads his expressions. he shakes his head as if to say, _you did nothing wrong_. then, without thinking, jaehyung wraps his arms around younghyun’s neck and pulls him close to him, feels younghyun’s hot breath ghost over his lips before he pulls him all the way down, nibbling at his lips one moment and alternating between sucking at his plump lower lip that fits in his own that part to allow him entrance once more.

jaehyung’s trying to keep up, trying to predict younghyung’s next advance. his mind is racing from the fresh rawness of everything happening around him right now. he’s not sure how to ask, what to say—should he say anything? what is he supposed to do when a stranger has climbed on top of him and is kissing him with everything he has to offer. there wasn't anything in all the hundreds of books he'd read in his lifetime. however, this isn’t just any stranger, this is younghyun, the boy who stumbled upon his cabin in the darkness of night seeking his help. this is silent but kind younghyun who is still a mystery to jaehyung. this is younghyun, the handsome stranger jaehyung couldn’t help be drawn towards. in the month he’s known him, jaehyung’s never considered his feelings for him, unsure if they were harboring inside or he’s just now realizing it. he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like younghyun, and so perhaps that would be enough. the voice in the back of his head is still screaming but his gut is telling him to enjoy the flow of things instead of worrying about reacting to younghyung’s advances. it feels good, feels right, but the sensations are still something he’s trying to wrap his mind around.

jaehyung continues to kiss younghyun slow because it’s all he knows how to do. younghyun seems to want more though, jaehyung realizes, when he feels younghyun’s body against his slowly begin to rock against him. heat instantly rushes to jaehyung’s cheeks and he lets the softest almost inaudible mewl weave in and out of their kisses. there’s a small blink-and-you’ll-miss-it smirk that crawls along younghyun’s lips that jaehyung feels against his mouth, and he opens his eyes wide in embarrassment at how out of control of his own body he feels.

younghyun sits up and assesses jaehyung, tilts his head and smiles softly before he undoes the top button of jaehyung’s shirt, and then another and another until he’s fully exposed. jaehyung intakes a sharp breath as a chill washes over his body, bumps forming down his arms and the fine hairs begin to stand straight. younghyun looks at him with a look of contemptment and it catches jaehyung off guard so much that he’s not mentally prepared for younghyun to dip down and start kissing along his neck. another moan escapes from jaehyung’s parted lips and a soft cry follows soon after when younghyun goes lower, lower lower, sliding his tongue with precision along jaehyung’s obtrusive collarbone. jaehyung buries his face into his hands, biting hard at his lip to keep from making any other lewd noises.

younghyun looks up for a brief moment and takes jaehyung’s hands in his own. his own way of saying, _let me see you_. jaehyung can only imagine the look on his face, he’s not sure why he’s being this way. without knowing why, he trusts younghyun and wants him now that they’re here, only a small layer of clothing separating them. at the inappropriate thought, jaehyung blushes. he’s sure that younghyun can see it between the moonlight peeking in through the single window and the candle flickering in the corner, he’s certain it’s hard to miss. if younghyun noticed, he’s not making any indication. instead, he laces his fingers within jaehyung’s and guides his hands up to trail against his own shirt. jaehyung’s hands nervously shake as younghyun lets go, leaving him to fiddle with the buttons. when the last button is undone, he slowly slides the shirt off younghyun’s shoulders, watching as it falls behind him. younghyun is even more beautiful in the moonlight, he’s almost unreal. jaehyung wonders if maybe he imagined him, but that’s not possible when younghyun is right in front of him and he can feel and taste him. he begins to wonder what his life would be like if younghyun remained a part of it, wonders if it’s possible to keep this snapshot engraved in his memory forever. the way that younghyun smiles down at him with reassurance, and the way his fingers delicately trace the edge of his body, sending a tingle through every inch of him; the way his eyes disappear when he smiles, or how they glow in the dim light.

jaehyung bites at his lip and shifts underneath, suddenly aware of the way his body begins to react. younghyun lets out a small noise, and jaehyung swears that he’s chuckling at him. younghyun makes quick work of their undergarments and jaehyung’s aware that he must be at least five different shades of red at the moment. he doesn’t get a moment to catch his breath before younghyun’s straddling his hips properly, hands reaching out to firmly grasp at jaehyung’s shoulders for stability as he begins to grind against him, slow at first—agonizingly slow just to add onto jaehyung’s embarrassment to show just how much he craves him, wants him, needs him.

jaehyung wants him too, more than his body can take. without thinking much of it, he lets his hands extend out to clutch onto each side of younghyun’s hip bones, fingers digging into the soft skin that forms. he wonders how younghyun can be so calm when jaehyung’s heart is about to leap out of his chest. he wonders about younghyun, although now doesn’t seem to be the time or place for questions on how younghyun is so experienced.

jaehyung begins to pant as their breathing picks up, he tries to remain focused, looking younghyun in the eyes, although he finds it difficult,trying to look at someone so ethereal, the way his hair falls below his eyes, the silhouette of his body drawing even more mystery to him and his entire existence.

“younghyun,” he begins when he feels the weight of younghyun shift above him. jaehyung gulps, adam’s apple stuck in his throat when he feels younghyung’s fingers begin to touch him in places he’s never been touched, in ways he never knew he wanted until now. he grunts, back arching against the firm bed. younghyun licks his lips in satisfaction before he shifts once more and takes jaehyung in his hand and positions himself right at the base. “y—younghyun,” jaehyung stutters.

younghyun lets out a soft mewl, hissing as he sinks slowly down against jaehyung. jaehyung gasps at the new sensation, mind clouded, but still the smallest barely still functioning part of his mind registers a wetness of oils that forms below. jaehyung’s unsure of where the lubricants came from, but before he gets a chance to think anymore on it, his mind wanders onto the next thought. they’re both so impossibly tight, he’s not sure how he’s supposed to make this work; he’s trying to help younghyun in whatever way he can, but his mind and body betray him. he inhales when younghyun clutches tightly at his shoulders and takes him in entirely. jaehyung lets loose, and releases a string of tangled cries into the air.

with every movement of younghyun’s hips, jaehyung lets out a suppressed moan, one after another and another, until jaehyung’s hips jerk upward and they find a rhythm that feels comfortable and matches their breathing. although, jaehyung’s not sure he’s breathing at all, not really. younghyun feels good, better than jaehyung could ever imagine and he wishes for the moment not to end, whispers for younghyun to go slower so that they may have more time together like this, completely unadulterated. younghyun slows, if only for a moment, fingers slinking lazily across jaehyung’s pale soft skin, until they stop at his hips and he pulls him closer into him. jaehyung lets another unwanted moan escape out from his lips, but he’s starting to accept that there’s no controlling them, not when younghyun teases him by sliding up off of him for a minute before slowly sinking back down. jaehyung curses under his breath and then a second time out loud. younghyun’s lips curl up in satisfaction, and it’s clear that’s the reaction he’s been waiting on.

“younghyun,” jaehyung murmurs repeatedly, pulling younghyun in close to press his mouth against his, fingers balling up into the thick mess of younghyun’s hair that jaehyung tugs at lightly, which causes the smallest moan to escape from younghyun. “you’re beautiful,” jaehyung whispers into his ear. teeth nibbling along the smooth curve of his earlobe. like that, jaehyung’s lips take a mind of their own and begin to kiss at his neck, burying his head into the crook, leaving small marks along the pristine surface of younghyun’s soft skin. younghyun’s pace quickens with every kiss that jaehyung leaves, every scratch that jaehyung marks on younghyun's back, clinging tightly against him, nails clawing downward until they make their way lower and lower. jaehyung pulls younghyun in close, holding onto him as if it’s his last moment to do so, and well honestly, it is. he holds back his emotions, not wanting to bring the mood down. he only hopes that they may meet once again when jaehyung returns from his service so that he can remind him at one point in time, he was explicitly and absolutely undoubtedly his.

they remain there like this for a while, younghyun moaning softly, barely audible into jaehyung’s ear, breath hot and heavy, laced with want and it takes everything within jaehyung to not come right there and then pressed against him. jaehyung’s breathing grows thick, legs beginning to shake beneath him and he knows he’s close, so close, wonders if younghyun is close as well. surely he must be. jaehyung feels bad though, having younghyun do all the work, although as far as he can tell, younghyun doesn’t seem to mind at all. even so, jaehyung finds it within himself to stretch out his arm and reach between them to take younghyun into his hand, hoping to at least make younghyun feel as good as he does. slowly, younghyun’s soft moans grow a little more with each stroke of jaehyung’s grip on him. he’s not sure if this is allowed, if it’s what he should be doing, but younghyun doesn’t stop him, instead his body begins to tremble and jaehyung supposes he enjoys it. that’s a relief because he’s not sure how much longer he can last, he’s trying to hold back as long as possible until younghyun is ready but it’s proving near impossible because younghyun’s clench around his base is suffocating and jaehyung feels so unbelievably hot, feels a mixture of sweat and tears roll along his face, down his body in areas he never knew could produce sweat. jaehyung quickens the strokes, gliding up and down with ease although he’s never done anything like this before. the pad of his thumb grazes across younghyun’s tip and at that moment, a loud cry — the one that jaehyung was hoping to hear, escapes from younghyun’s parted lips. a beat later jaehyung comes inside of him, a string of low but strangled moans tumbling out from his mouth.

younghyun continues to roll against him, riding out the feeling until their breaths become so labored that neither can seem to catch their breath. younghyun falls against jaehyung, shuddering as he collapses into his arms. jaehyung wraps his arms around younghyun’s body and kisses against his open mouth, soft moans weaving in and out with every breath and every kiss.

after a while, when their heavy breathing subsides, they lay there, naked and drenched between the thin sheets of the bed, the candle in the corner of the room had long since gone out, but the light from the moon continues to pour in. jaehyung looks deep into younghyun’s eyes, tears forming before he says, “i don’t want to leave you.” it's almost scary how naturally the words roll off his tongue when he thinks about how quickly his life that once included only caring for himself had blossomed into a desire and hope of a future. it’s something that jaehyung’s never allowed himself to consider wanting, or something that he could ever potentially find, but life mysteriously presented it to him in the form of younghyun.

jaehyung doesn’t make any attempts to move, they stay like this for a while until younghyun eventually shifts and jaehyung decides to finally get up. he fetches the bucket of water he has outside and brings it into the kitchen. younghyun shuffles out of bed and makes his way to where jaehyung is at the small round table. the moment is reminiscent of their first encounter as jaehyung dips a washcloth into the cool water and gently scrubs younghyun down, when he brings the cloth across younghyun’s skin, younghyun makes a soft content sort of noise. that’s when jaehyung is faced with the sudden thought that this is how everything should be, how they _should_ stay between him and younghyun. after he finishes washing younghyun, he pulls another washcloth out of the bucket to clean himself off. he doesn’t get the chance to when younghyun takes the washcloth out from his hand and delicately rubs the cloth along jaehyung’s body. when they’re finished cleaning up, jaehyung dumps out the bucket of water outside and returns indoors. the sheets are a mess, at least somewhat, he knows, and although he’s aware of how strange they’ll feel tomorrow, jaehyung’s much too exhausted to do anything about them now. he has a schedule to stick to for tomorrow and it’s already approaching a later hour, far past the time he usually settles into bed for the night.

in truth, jaehyung isn’t sure how the thought comes to his mind and that alone terrifies him because he has never once thought of any sort of companionship before, and least of all with another man, one that he barely knows. yet, despite that, there’s something telling him that this is how everything should be, that everything would be fine. he wants to believe that, although it all comes too late. he hates that he has to leave tomorrow. he thinks of excuses he could make to delay the examination for even one day. just one day. he would take that for anything in the world right now. eventually, they both make their way back into the bed.

“younghyun,” jaehyung murmurs, voice low with sleep and contentment. “please, don’t go,” he whispers and drapes his arm a little possessively around younghyung’s waist, before he sinks into a deep sleep, their limbs entwined.

 

in the morning, jaehyung wakes up and finds that he’s alone. it’s almost as if younghyun had never been there, his bed showing absolutely no sign, no traces of having been shared with younghyun. with anyone, besides jaehyung alone. he stretches and rolls out of bed, head spinning, heart pounding when he comes to the realization that there’s no one here, no one except for himself. he picks up his clothes that were tossed aside in the heat of the night, a sign that everything about last night was real and not all his imagination playing tricks on him. the sheets of his bed still slightly sticky against his touch as a messy truth, last indication.

he wanders out further into the space scanning the entire room.  


“younghyun!” jaehyung’s call echos out, voice urgent. “younghyun?”

there’s no answer, not even the usual chirping of birds outside his window. only deafening silence. jaehyung quickly pulls on some clothes from his trunk and is about to leave to go out into the woods in search for younghyun. _he went out_ , _he went out like he used to, like_ … _any other day — he’ll return in no time carrying in some herbs for a quick meal before we have to leave for the village_ , is what jaehyung tells himself because it’s what he wants to believe. he almost does, until he discovers that there beside his desk where he studies is a small pile of leaves scattered near the foot of the chair.

he kneels down and picks up a single leaf, and then slowly, his expression changes from bewilderment   


to sardonic laughter  


and then finally, irrepressible sadness.

 

**Author's Note:**

> a few notes (please do not read until you have finished reading the fic as these contain spoilers):  
> · there is no historical accuracy to this, but if you're looking for a time period then it's set in the very late 1800s or early 1900s.  
> · according to folklore, the japanese kitsune can be either benevolent or malevolent. in this case, younghyun is benevolent and intends no harm to classic scholar jaehyung.  
> · a lot of magical energy is exhausted in order for younghyun to conceal his true form and to sustain his human form. kitsune's have to draw their energy from several different sources in order to achieve this level of complex magical use. be it drawing energy from bodies of water that render them murky or drawing energy from animals that eventually begin to kill them off.  
> · when a kitsune leaves a gift it usually will turn into a pile of leaves.  
> · only a bit of research was done before writing this, so once again i claim no accuracy.
> 
>  
> 
> feel free to follow me on my writing twitter [@ilovedyoump3](https://twitter.com/ilovedyoump3) if you'd like!


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